Toy puzzle



(No ModeL) Patented Apr. 29, 1890.

F.7T. OSHAUGHNESSY. TOY PUZZLE. No. 426,569.

Tn: wams uns col, Wmo-mum, wAsMmmoN, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK T. OSI-IAUGHNESSY, OF CAMDEN, NEW' JERSEY.

TOY PUZZLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters 'Patent No. 426,569, dated April29, 1890.

Application led December 2, 1889. Serial No. 332,217. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK T. OSHAUGH- NEssY, of the city of Camden andState of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvementin Toy Puzzles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specilication.

My invention has relation to toy puzzles; and it consists in a series ofirregular paths gated or connected one with the other, forming alabyrinth, whereon numerous of the paths terminate blindly with no 'exitafter leading in and out, or lead circuitously back into the directcourse or to the starting-point. One path, at least, however, iscontinuous, and leads from the given starting-plat to the goal orterminus sought.

I preferably employ the surface of a ball or oval upon which to lay outthe tortuous paths of my invention, as the tracing of the direct pathbecomes more diflicult when the entire' course is not exposed to the eyeat one time, as it would be were the paths laid out on a fiat surface. y

In the accompanying drawings, similar letters of reference refer tosimilar parts throughout.

Figure l is a plan or top view of a ball with the paths laid out uponit. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Figs. l and 3, viewing it from thepoint indicated by B. Fig. 3 is a bottom view or inverted plan, viewingit from the point indicated by C in Figs. 2 and 4. Fig. t is a sideelevation of Figs. l and 3, viewing it from the point indicated by A.

S in Fig. l is the plat which indicates the starting-point of the pathto be traced and the dotted lines indicate a correct path to befollowed. The point l in Fig. l is supposed to correspond with the pointl in Fig. 2, showing the continuous course of the journey. The point 2in Fig. 2 is supposed to correspond with the point 2 in Fig. 3, showingthe continuous course, while point 3 in Fig. 4 is also supposed tocorrespond to point 3 in Fig. 3,

and the correct path is continuously indicated until the finishinggoal Fis reached, as shown in Fig. 4.. The other numerous paths indicated areblind, or lead circuitously into the direct course or back to thestarting-point, and being more numerous than the correct paths inducemore readily the traveler to follow them, and in many instancesconsiderable distances before being brought to a sudden stop by a blindpath, or back to the startingpoint, as may be plainly seen from thedrawings'.

The walls of the paths maybe simply indicated by marks, or they may, ifdesired, be raised or the paths grooved to guide the pointed instrumentwhich is preferably used in endeavoring to trace the course.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

l. A ball having described thereon aseries of tortuous paths, having astarting-plat and a finishing-plat connected by one or more continuousbut intersected tortuous paths and paths which terminate blindly,substantially as set forth and described.

2. A ball having described thereon a series of tortuous paths leadingfrom a starting point, one or more of which by circuitous coursesconnect with the finishing-plat and intersected by numerous blind paths`calculated to mislead, substantially as set forth .and described.

3. A ball having described on the surface thereof numerous tortuouspaths leading from a starting-point thereon intersected by misleadingpaths, one or more o f which lead to a finishing-point, substantially asset forth and described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 30th day ofNovember, A. D. 1889.

FRANK T. OSIIAUGHNESSY.

Vitncsses:

HORACE PErrTIr, JAMES B. GIVIN.

